Buku harian itu saya bawa ke kantor.

that

Breakdown of Buku harian itu saya bawa ke kantor.

• saya: I
• kantor: the office
• ke: to

Questions & Answers about Buku harian itu saya bawa ke kantor.

Why does the sentence start with "Buku harian itu"? Why not start with "Saya"?

Indonesian often fronts the object to make it the topic or focus. Buku harian itu saya bawa ke kantor roughly feels like “As for that diary, I took it to the office,” emphasizing the diary. The neutral, subject-first version is Saya membawa buku harian itu ke kantor. Meaning-wise, both are fine; the fronted version highlights the object.

Why is it "saya bawa" and not "saya membawa"?

After a fronted object, Indonesian commonly uses the bare verb (no meN-), giving saya bawa. With subject-first order you use the meN- form: Saya membawa buku harian itu ke kantor. So:

• Object-first: Buku harian itu saya bawa ...
• Subject-first: Saya membawa ...

Is this sentence passive?

Many grammars call this the “short passive” or “passive type 2” (Buku itu saya bawa). In English, though, it’s usually translated actively (“I took the diary to the office”). Functionally, it puts focus on the object while still naming the agent.

Can I say "Buku harian itu dibawa saya ke kantor"?

Yes, Buku harian itu dibawa saya ke kantor is grammatical and more formal/literary. In everyday speech, Buku harian itu saya bawa ke kantor sounds more natural. You may also see Buku harian itu kubawa ke kantor (using the clitic ku- for “I”).